In Focus: Heat Exchangers

With growing demands on service companies and operating companies on a global scale, and the ever challenging industry landscape that recent times have carved out, the ability to bolster well test operations with external well test support services has never been more critical to achieving offshore success.

Leasing products and services to maximise efficiency of operations offshore, is not a new concept. The reduced capital investment and the opportunity to call on the expertise of those closest to the development of a product, plant or service has always been a pull for operators and that trend is set to continue.

World leading well test support service provider, ScanTech Offshore has seen significant growth in this service model in recent years. Well test support engineer at ScanTech Offshore, Mark Ball commented: “It’s a model we’re seeing more and more of and at ScanTech Offshore, we understand the importance of listening to customer requirements and tailoring our rental portfolio to suit those needs.”

“Take ScanTech’s Heat Exchanger; we had numerous global requests for efficient, safe and cost effective heat exchangers and with it, invested significantly in research and supporting these requests through our rental portfolio for 2015.”

With a diverse range of well test support services, ScanTech Offshore offers many of its products for both sale and rental to really deliver the best outcome for the well test cus-tomer. Given the nature of Heat Exchangers, they’re one of ScanTech’s products only to be offered for rental purposes.

Mark added: “Well test operators will ordinarily only require a Heat Exchanger from us if they don’t already have a bespoke system in place. So there isn’t the demand for these with a purchase option. That said, we’d always work to find the best solution for our customers.”

ScanTech Offshore’s Heat Exchangers are high performance, high cube units. Allowing for a smaller footprint than the conventional exchanger, taking the shape of a 20ft con-tainer, they are more cost effective to ship and store. Despite the smaller footprint, they’ve been developed with a larger coil size, which allows a higher flow rate with minimum back pressure and efficient heat transfer.

Mark continued: “Historically, for the last thirty years, Heat Exchangers have used the same outdated technology. In an attempt to future proof the system, we’ve invested heavi-ly to ensure we have the best, most effective and highly cost efficient rental option avail-able on the market. Competitor offerings in the rental arena just don’t have the flow rates our systems can deliver.”

Heat Exchanger is the latest addition to ScanTech Offshore’s rental portfolio, delivering on the business’s continued commitment to safety, efficiency and bringing new innova-tion to the Well Test industry.

Heat Exchangers: The Facts

Dimensions: The chosen dimensions of the unit are as per high cube ISO 20ft container length and width, this allows for easier and possibly cheaper transit costs, stacking on top of other ISO containers.

Coil Size: 4” ID coils allow high rate flow with minimum built up back pressure and good heat transfer, maximum rate as per relief case of 60MMscf/d or 15,000Bbls/d.

Relief details: One off pilot operated relief valve allows for 50% built up back pressure in relief line plus one off rupture disk, preferred by DNV for rapid rising pressure fluctuations as can happen with tube rupture. This allows for a relief spool to skid edge then well test company can run relief line to designated area. The competitors conventional relief valves only allow 10% built up back pressure in relief lines so therefore route the relief outlet direct to atmosphere above unit.

Choke size: 3” Orifice allows for high rates through process coils.

Inlet & Outlet connections: 4” D31 Hub, preferred metal to metal seal to eliminate elasto-mer shrinkage due to low temperatures and a common cause for a gas release.